What is the biggest challenge for AI in medical diagnosis Knowing if a fur baby is sick with just a photo

Knowing if your fur baby is sick with just one photo
According to the data from the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Development Council, as of 2023, the number of registered pets in Taiwan has exceeded 230,000, while the number of newborn registrations is only 150,000. With the declining number of newborns, the number of fur babies has increased, leading to the rise of the “pet generation” and the pet economy.
However, it is difficult for pet owners to determine whether their fur babies are experiencing any abnormalities. They are unsure if their pets’ conditions are similar to the information they find online, if the online information is accurate, if they need to seek medical attention, or if the doctors’ diagnosis is accurate.
To alleviate the concerns of fur parents, the South Korean startup AI For Pet has developed an app called TTcare. This app uses AI to preliminarily identify possible causes of illness with an accuracy rate of up to 95%. Now, in addition to the US market, they are also eyeing Taiwan as the next target market, where the pet economy is flourishing.
The current AI technology of AI For Pet can identify visible symptoms in cats and dogs, such as red and swollen eyes or constant scratching in a specific area. Pet owners can use the camera function of TTcare to take photos or videos of their pets’ discomfort and abnormalities. The AI image recognition will analyze the thermal imaging to determine the severity of the pet’s condition and suggest possible symptoms.
Through this preliminary assessment, pet owners can determine if their pets’ conditions are urgent, reducing anxiety. The app’s e-commerce platform also provides recommendations on which food or supplements can improve the pet’s condition. If further examination is needed, TTcare offers remote consultations with veterinarians.
The process of online consultations is similar to visiting a veterinary hospital in person. The veterinarian will observe the pet’s symptoms and determine if a visit is necessary. However, because the pets have preliminary assessment data on TTcare, veterinarians can provide treatment recommendations and confirm symptoms more quickly based on this data.
Finding veterinarians to collaborate with has become a challenge due to regulations. Jay Lim, the Director of Business Development at AI For Pet, stated that although remote consultations provide convenience to pet owners, the biggest challenge the service faces is regulations. Currently, only a few countries have legalized remote pet prescriptions, and most veterinarians are not authorized to issue prescriptions to pet owners.
However, AI For Pet has obtained approval from state governments in the United States and is currently applying for licenses in California and Indiana. They are also actively seeking veterinarians and legislators willing to collaborate, utilizing their expertise and existing customer networks to legalize online prescriptions in more cities.
In terms of health supplements, AI For Pet promotes its products in the United States through “pet preventive healthcare,” teaching pet owners how to “check their pets’ health” and detect early signs of diseases, thus reducing the number of treatments required for pets.
Aside from establishing a viable business model in terms of regulations and sales, AI For Pet’s other competitive advantage is its AI technology.
Before AI For Pet was founded, the founder Euna Huh, along with a professor specializing in big data and a veterinarian, developed the AI technology of TTcare for research purposes. They collaborated with three universities in South Korea, Ohio State University, and veterinary hospitals in the United States to collect and diagnose over 2.5 million images. These images were then annotated and verified by a professional veterinary team, ensuring the credibility of TTcare’s AI model and becoming a competitive advantage.
After completing this research, the three individuals decided to apply this technology in more practical ways. Despite having 25 years of experience in AI and big data, Euna Huh always wanted to apply AI in more aspects of daily life. Therefore, she commercialized the technology and founded AI For Pet in 2020, with the goal of helping more pet owners and their pets.
In order to expand into overseas markets, AI For Pet has partnered with the Taiwanese startup accelerator Garage+. They hope that with the help of the accelerator, they can successfully find funding and opportunities for overseas development. They plan to target the US as their first overseas market and consider Japan, one of the top five pet markets globally, as their second target. As the pet market in Europe and America includes horses, AI For Pet is currently developing and researching features related to horses in addition to analyzing dogs and cats with AI.